
Contact and non-contact profilometry is a measurement technique used to reconstruct the geometry of an object. Traditionally, contact profilometry has used a rod with a top-mounted force/position sensor to measure changes in the surface of the object. However, the use of laser scanners is becoming increasingly popular for dimensional analysis of object geometry.
This technique uses a laser beam projected onto the object to be measured and allows the profile to be reconstructed quickly and accurately.
Laser scanning systems have been used to generate three-dimensional models of objects and the technology is becoming more common in digital reconstruction. A laser scanner-based system is capable of acquiring detailed information on objects by extending the limits of traditional techniques such as contact profilometry.
The surveying process can be automated and offers accurate results even if the object to be measured is complex and awkward to handle manually.
The use of laser scanners in reverse engineering offers great advantages over the use of conventional tools, such as the possibility of reconstructing complex shapes in addition to the regular ones, such as holes and slots, but also irregular surfaces such as curves and surfaces aesthetics; consequently there is less need to do without some complex geometric functions that would take a very long time to calculate using traditional mathematical methods.
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